Jaeeett m



J. M. KEITH.

MAIL BAG OATGHER.

Patented Apr. 24, 1888.

(No Model.)

INYENTOR ATTORNEYS.

WITNES$ES UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

J ARRETT M. KEITH, OF GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

MAIL-,BAG

'CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,841, dated April24, 1888'.

Application filed December 30, 1887. Serial No. 259,426. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JARRET'I M. KEITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenville, in the county of Greenville and State of SouthCarolina, have invented a new and use-' ful Improvement in Mail BagCatchers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains to improvements in mail-bag catchers, having forits object to expedite the adjustment or reversal of the hook or catcherproper,according to the direction in which the train may be moving; andit consists, primarily, in rendering the hook or catcher proper movablebodily from side to side of the door-opening,andin the reversibility ofthe hook or catcher proper; and it consists, secondarily, in the meansfor carrying out the aforesaid purposes, substantially as hereinafterset forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvedmail-bag catcher. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, partly in plan, of thesame, with certain parts broken away. Fig.3 is a sectional view on theline :0 a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of theinvention, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same.

In the embodiment of my invention I employ a support or guide, A, whichconsists of parallel bars or rails a a, which at their ends areconnected to shoulders or enlargements a a,formed in connection Withpivots aa'. These pivots in practice bear in eyes or ears which areapplied to the car, one at each side of the door-opening.

B is the hook or catcher proper, in its general outline of usualconstruction, but at its inner end is provided with an aperturedprojection, B, (the purpose of which will appear hereinaften) and issecured or bolted edgewise to and between castings O 0, each consistingof a base piece or bar, 0, and two cleats or cheeks, c c, oneat each endof said base piece or bar. The lower edges of the inner end of the hookor catcher proper and of the castings are flush with each other and restupon a carriage, D. The said end of the hook or catcher proper, B, isprovided in its lower edge with an angular aperture, 1), opening into arecess, b, in said hook or catcher proper. The carriage D is alsoprovided with an aperture, d, a cylindric one, which receives a pivotingbolt, E, for the hook or catcher proper,

said bolt having a cylindric portion whichturns in said aperture, whileits outer end is adapted to conform to the shape of the angular aperturein the said hook or catcher proper, to which it is held by a nut, asshown, permitting of the reversibility of the hook. The object of thisis of course to effect the reversing of the hook, so as to cause itsfree end to point in either direction in which the train may be moving.To the inner end of the pivotingbolt Eis suitably connected an operatinghandle or lever, F, having, preferably, a keylike-shank shape, as shown,to promote convenience in manipulating the same. At the inner end of thehandle or lever Fis provided a projection, e, Which is adapted to engagewith a stop, e, upon the carriage D, to limit the turning movement ofthe handle as the hook or catcher proper is reversed, in order to arrestthe latter just at the required point.

The carriage D consists of a block or casting, which is fitted andslides between the rails or bars a a of the guide or support A, saidbars being received in longitudinal grooves f f at the sides of saidblock or casting. The carriage is thus rendered capable of having a backand forth sliding movement by the proper manipulation of the handle orlever F, whereby the hook or catcher proper can be adjusted or shiftedto the required side of the car-door opening, according to the directionin which the car or train may be moving.

The projection B on the hook or catcher proper, B, is received in eitherof two grooves or recesses, g 9, one made in each of the pivotenlargements or shoulders a, a of the support A, and a pin, h, is passedthrough either of two apertures, i i, one made in each of saidenlargements or shoulders, and into the aperture of said projection,forholding the carriage with said hook or catcher proper at the requiredpoint of adjustment. The pin h is suit ably connected bya cord or chain,h, in order to be conveniently at hand, to the carriage D.

Of course it will be understood that thesupport or guide A is operatedby properly manipulating the handle or lever F, so as to cause it toturn horizontally to effect the discharge of the mail-bag received uponthe hook or catcher proper into the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The mail bag catcher comprising the axial support, the carriagemounted thereon, the hook or catcher proper applied to said carriage,and the handle or lever provided with a pivoting-bolt connecting withthehook or catcher proper and passing through the carriage, whereby thecarriage with the hook is adapted to be moved along the axial supportfrom side to side of the doorway or opening and the hook is reversed bythe manipulation only of the handle, substantially as set forth.

2. The mail bag catcher comprising the axial support having near itsends grooved and apertured shoulders, the hook or catcher properprovided with an apertured projection fitting in either of the groovesof said shoul ders, a pin or means for effecting connection between saidprojection and either of said shoulders, the carriage mounted upon saidaxial support, and the handle or lever provided with a pivoting-boltpassing through said carriage and connecting with said hook or catcherproper, whereby, after sliding or moving the carriage with the hook orcatcher proper along the axial support to its destination and the hookis reversed by the manipulation only of the handle, connection iseffected between the hook or catcher proper and the axial support,securing the hook with the carriage to said support, substantially asset forth.

3. The mail bag catcher combining the axial support, the carriagemounted upon said support, the hook or catcher proper applied to saidcarriage, and the handle provided with a pivoting-bolt having acylindrie portion passing through the carriage and an angular portionfitting in a similarly-shaped aperture in the hook or catcher proper,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The mail bag catcher combining the axial support having grooved andapertured shoulders near its ends, the carriage mounted upon saidsupport and provided with a stop, the hook or catcher properapplied tothe carriage and provided with an apertured projection fitting intoeither of the grooves of said shoulders, and the handle or lever havinga projection engaging with the stop upon the carriage, and thepivoting-bolt having :1 cylindric portion passing through the carriageand an angular portion entering a correspondingly-shaped aperture in thehook or catcher proper, substantially as specified.

JARRETT M. KEITH.

Witnesses:

W. S. GRAY, L. T. PRIOR.

